one year anniversary (a few days late)

June 4, 2001

:

So sorry that you are one of the few for whom the surgery did not work out well.

Doggone it! We all count on this being the end of our problems with weight

forever and when someone does not have good results, it bothers us all.

Sounds like you're really on top of the problem and like you have good docs

working on things. I hope there is a solution that will bring you back to

feeling well. I know you must be miserable feeling yucko all the time.

My best to you . I'll be thinking of you and you will be in my prayers

for a fast solution.

Flo

June 5, 2001

,

I'm not going to " flame " you and I sure hope no one else does either.

Bless your heart. I haven't experienced the bile reflux as I'm only 2 months

out, but I'm so sorry for your pain and discomfort. I pray that you will get

some relief somehow.

You will be in my prayers!

Love from OK,

June 5, 2001

I had my surgery on 6-2-00. It was uneventful. I was out of work for

only a few days, and was able to take care of my child immediately

after surgery. I have lost between 94-105 lbs. I have had periods of

weight gain (up to 15 lbs). Right now I am at 94 lbs lost. That puts

me at 181 lbs. Just a few months ago I was 170.

At first, the weight gain concerned me. I would panic every time I

would hop on the scale and would be up a lb or 2. I just knew the

surgery had failed me (or I failed the surgery).

Now, I would not care if I gained all the weight back (105 or 94 lbs)

just to have a " normal " life. I had this surgery to lose weight. I

had NO medical problems other than being MO. No blood pressure

problems, no cholesterol problems..... Some people think that being

thin (or not MO) is normal. That is what I strived for. However, if

I could trade the problems I am having with the BILE REFLUX, I would

take the weight back. At least at 275 lbs, my stomach did not burn

every minute of every day. Luckily, you may not have this problem,

but I do. It has become almost unbearable. Even though I do not

vomit everyday, it (the vomit) can come when you least expect it. I

can bend over to tie my shoe---VOMIT. I can lean over to pick up my

child---VOMIT. I have been sleeping sitting up for about 4 months. I

work a full-time job, and I am a single mother of a 3 year old.

Imagine having to sleep sitting up for the rest of your life just so

you will not wake up spewing vomit out of your nose and mouth. NOT A

PRETTY SIGHT!! And the lack of sleep is no fun either!!

Fot those of you who do not have a problem-Congratulations. You are

lucky. I hope that you still have an endoscopy yearly. For those of

you who are having this problem, I am sorry. I know what you are

suffering through. Hopefully there will be light at the end of the

tunnel for us. I have been to an upper-GI Specialist 3 times since

March. He recommends a reversal or a revision. I see a specialist on

June 14th. My Upper GI Specialist in in Winston-Salem. If anyone

needs to have an endoscopy because of problems (or whatever) I will be

happy to give you his name. He is very smart and thourough (sp).

I can see a revision or reveral in my future. I continue to feel

worse and worse. I thought this was the answer for ME. I see that it

was NOT. Now, my biggest fear is having another MAJOR surgery. This

scares me more than having the MGB. I thought the MGB would be a walk

in the park. I thought it was a miracle surgery. Unfortunately, It

was not for me. If I had it to do all over again, I would have just

had the RNY in the first place. I was under the impression that the

RNY could not be done LAP and that it would take a very long time to

heal. Where did I get that info? Dr. Rutledge!

Please do not " flame " me. I really am a post-op with problems. I did

read the manual and do my reasearch on the MGB. But the information

provided to me to do the research was provided by the Doctor who

performed the surgery. The only info on the MGB was from the only

doctor who performed the MGB. So yes, I did the research as required.

DO I feel like I was mislead about the risks and dangers of the MGB?

YES-because I was told that the MGB did not cause bile reflux. (the

manual I have does not mention it--yours might!!) Guess what? I have

a full blown case of BILE REFLUX!!

I am happy that I have lost weight. I have lost 94 lbs in a year

before with out a WLS. I gained it back (like most of us). I thought

this weight loss would be " forever " . I was wrong about this too!!

(see above for weight gain info)

I have already tried everyone's " remedy " on dealing with bile reflux.

Your regimens work for you. They do not work for me. I have kept a

food journal of all the foods I eat to see if it triggers a vomiting

episode. Nothing is consistent. I do not eat after 7 oclock at night.

This has not stopped me from vomiting.

If anyone wishes to speak with me, I can be e-mailed privately, or on

the list. I am not the poster child for the MGB. I am having

problems, I am not the only one, and I am sure that I will not be the

last. I am honest about my problems, and as Dr. Rutledge told me,

this is not the perfect WLS.

Thanks, and sorry for the babbling!

Watts

6-2-00

June 5, 2001

In a message dated 6/5/2001 11:39:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

ingramwl@... writes:

> a

> > food journal of all the foods I eat to see if it triggers a vomiting

> > episode. Nothing is consistent. I do not eat after 7 oclock at night.

> > This has not stopped me from vomiting.

>

,

I feel for you really! I pray for you often. You sound like you have

something in addition to Bile Reflux. Bile is not acid reflux so who is

telling you not to eat after 7:00? My doc has me eating crackers before bed

to soak up bile. It works for me. I know you are different. But before you

have an RNY please look at the complications and risks that cannot be

reversed. I wish you the best . No surgery is perfect or without

risks and complications if you are informed or not, pain is pain. Please let

me know how your scope comes out and what they plan on doing.

I am keeping a journal, so could you share what medications and supps your

Gastro has you on?

Hugs & Prayers

Trish

June 5, 2001

,

I am sorry you are having problems. I also sincerely hope that you find a

solution to them soon. Living in pain and misery is no way to live!

I am also sorry that you don't feel you were given enough information. I

understand when you say most of the information we all were given came from

Dr. R but that is not where ALL of my information came from. I did lots of

web searches and read lots of information from other physicians who did not

and do not approve of the MGB - my surgery was in 10/00. I knew of the

risks going in and was willing to accept them - and still am. I do believe

that a percentage of us will have problems of some kind. I also believe

that a larger percentage of us will not have problems. That is no different

than any type of surgery - even routine ones.

Feel better soon!

on

10/04/00

280/195

one year anniversary (a few days late)

> I had my surgery on 6-2-00. It was uneventful. I was out of work for

> only a few days, and was able to take care of my child immediately

> after surgery. I have lost between 94-105 lbs. I have had periods of

> weight gain (up to 15 lbs). Right now I am at 94 lbs lost. That puts

> me at 181 lbs. Just a few months ago I was 170.

>

> At first, the weight gain concerned me. I would panic every time I

> would hop on the scale and would be up a lb or 2. I just knew the

> surgery had failed me (or I failed the surgery).

>

> Now, I would not care if I gained all the weight back (105 or 94 lbs)

> just to have a " normal " life. I had this surgery to lose weight. I

> had NO medical problems other than being MO. No blood pressure

> problems, no cholesterol problems..... Some people think that being

> thin (or not MO) is normal. That is what I strived for. However, if

> I could trade the problems I am having with the BILE REFLUX, I would

> take the weight back. At least at 275 lbs, my stomach did not burn

> every minute of every day. Luckily, you may not have this problem,

> but I do. It has become almost unbearable. Even though I do not

> vomit everyday, it (the vomit) can come when you least expect it. I

> can bend over to tie my shoe---VOMIT. I can lean over to pick up my

> child---VOMIT. I have been sleeping sitting up for about 4 months. I

> work a full-time job, and I am a single mother of a 3 year old.

> Imagine having to sleep sitting up for the rest of your life just so

> you will not wake up spewing vomit out of your nose and mouth. NOT A

> PRETTY SIGHT!! And the lack of sleep is no fun either!!

>

> Fot those of you who do not have a problem-Congratulations. You are

> lucky. I hope that you still have an endoscopy yearly. For those of

> you who are having this problem, I am sorry. I know what you are

> suffering through. Hopefully there will be light at the end of the

> tunnel for us. I have been to an upper-GI Specialist 3 times since

> March. He recommends a reversal or a revision. I see a specialist on

> June 14th. My Upper GI Specialist in in Winston-Salem. If anyone

> needs to have an endoscopy because of problems (or whatever) I will be

> happy to give you his name. He is very smart and thourough (sp).

>

> I can see a revision or reveral in my future. I continue to feel

> worse and worse. I thought this was the answer for ME. I see that it

> was NOT. Now, my biggest fear is having another MAJOR surgery. This

> scares me more than having the MGB. I thought the MGB would be a walk

> in the park. I thought it was a miracle surgery. Unfortunately, It

> was not for me. If I had it to do all over again, I would have just

> had the RNY in the first place. I was under the impression that the

> RNY could not be done LAP and that it would take a very long time to

> heal. Where did I get that info? Dr. Rutledge!

>

> Please do not " flame " me. I really am a post-op with problems. I did

> read the manual and do my reasearch on the MGB. But the information

> provided to me to do the research was provided by the Doctor who

> performed the surgery. The only info on the MGB was from the only

> doctor who performed the MGB. So yes, I did the research as required.

> DO I feel like I was mislead about the risks and dangers of the MGB?

> YES-because I was told that the MGB did not cause bile reflux. (the

> manual I have does not mention it--yours might!!) Guess what? I have

> a full blown case of BILE REFLUX!!

>

> I am happy that I have lost weight. I have lost 94 lbs in a year

> before with out a WLS. I gained it back (like most of us). I thought

> this weight loss would be " forever " . I was wrong about this too!!

> (see above for weight gain info)

>

> I have already tried everyone's " remedy " on dealing with bile reflux.

> Your regimens work for you. They do not work for me. I have kept a

> food journal of all the foods I eat to see if it triggers a vomiting

> episode. Nothing is consistent. I do not eat after 7 oclock at night.

> This has not stopped me from vomiting.

>

> If anyone wishes to speak with me, I can be e-mailed privately, or on

> the list. I am not the poster child for the MGB. I am having

> problems, I am not the only one, and I am sure that I will not be the

> last. I am honest about my problems, and as Dr. Rutledge told me,

> this is not the perfect WLS.

>

> Thanks, and sorry for the babbling!

> Watts

> 6-2-00

>

June 5, 2001

Dear , I am so sorry to hear of your distressing situation. Reversal

sounds like the only solution. Please keep us informed. Yuk! What a

miserable way to feel. You're a much stronger person than I; I would have

been unable to keep my " cool " with sleep deprivation, foul stomach, full time

job and a child! I am impressed that you are still able to be human and

humane! Please keep us informed. And my best thoughts and wishes are with

you. PhillyJude MGB 11-3-00

June 5, 2001

, I am so sorry that you are having such problems. I do hope that you

and your doctors find a solution for you that will not cause the weight to

return. Have they suggested revising to an RNY? Good luck and let us know how

you are getting along occasionally.

Pat